114 MY HORSE; MY LOVE 



infusion of Arabian blood. For fifty years New England 

 had been proud of her Morgan horse created from 

 Arab blood. New York and Long Island boasted with 

 proper spirit of the families of Henry Clay and Andrew 

 Jackson, while Long Island was the home of the 

 famous Messenger of direct Arab blood, and also of 

 Wildair, inbred to Arab blood. The latter, after im- 

 portation from England, was so highly prized there that 

 he was repurchased.' 



Then it was these noted stallions who were the pro- 

 genitors of the finest horses in the country, and who gave 

 the foundation blood to all the trotting speed of which 

 America could then boast? 



'Yes, madam, but when this immense army of horses 

 was sent to the front, the mares at home were left without 

 mates equal to them in blood. Only the basest of staUions, 

 in fact the commonest mongrels were left to mate with 

 these blooded mares. As the progeny of mongrel blood 

 does not " train on " with successive generations, the repro- 

 duction of thoroughbred horses was an impossibiUty. From 

 this time dates the advent of what is known as the 

 American horse. No heavier blow to the reputation of 

 American horse-breeders could have fallen than this, for 

 // is impossible to create a type from a mongrel of any animal 

 except a mofigrel.' 



Then it is conceded, after long experiment, that no 

 valuable type can be created, except through the infusion 

 of pure blood? 



'Yes, madam, we may say that we have an Ameri- 

 can horse with certain characteristics of much money 

 value to his owner ; but does it reproduce with cer- 

 tainty any quality that is in demand by any other 



